The Distance Between Us was overall a very interesting book. I really loved the first half of the book because it talked about life in Mexico and what the children did to occupy their time. It was interesting to learn about the differences in Mexico compared to the United States. The people washed their clothes in the local river. Most people struggled to get by. Only one person in the village owned a vehicle. Lots of times people went hungry but still had money for the cantina. Children's bellies were swollen huge because they all had tapeworms. It was also sad to learn that people really couldn't afford adequate health care. The Grande's Tio Crece was obviously mentally ill but no one could do anything about it. One time, Abuelita Chinta accidentally spilled boiling water all over Betty's face and they did not have enough money to take her to the hospital. Mago went over and borrowed money from the neighbor so that they could take her to the hospital. It was really eye-opening to learn about the difficulties that people face in Mexico, even the people that are well off.
Another thing that I thought was interesting was the part of the book where they crossed the border. Generally, people that cross the border are considered dangerous or crossing the border to bring illegal things into our country and take our jobs. I realize now that the majority of the time, the people crossing the border are doing it because they want a better life for their family and there is literally no other way for them to earn an adequate amount of money. People cross the border into the United States because they have no other option than to live in poverty. Most of the time when people cross into the United States, they end up sending the majority of their money back home to Mexico to their families.
It was inspiring to read about how much trouble their father went to to ensure that his children had an opportunity for a better life. Reyna, Carlos, and Mago were very lucky because even when Betty was brought to the United States, she had to live with their mother who was a neglectful parent. Betty eventually ended up involved with gangs and drugs. Reyna, Carlos, and Mago all grew up to live successful lives. It is still interesting to read about the conditions that they lived in even when they did get to the United States. Their apartment complex was located in an area that had heavy gang activity and some gang members even lived in the apartment complex. One night when they were at home, they heard gunshots and there was a gang member that had been shot on their fence. They had never seen anything like it. Even though they lived in a bad area, Reyna, Carlos, and Mago rose above their situations and led good lives. Reyna found happiness in things like books and band, and continued her life to go to college and succeed. Eventually, their father got sick and died of cancer.
I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I would rate this memoir 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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